- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what further resources will be available to fund additional public transport links between Edinburgh and Fife as an alternative to private car travel during periods of lane closures on the Forth Road Bridge.
Answer
Planning for major works involving possible lane closures on the Forth Road Bridge is at an early stage. No assessment has been made at this stage of the need for possible traffic mitigation measures. However, the provision of public transport services is primarily a matter for the local authorities and SESTRAN, in association with private sector operators.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic costs associated with the introduction of a continuous contraflow on the Forth Road Bridge for at least eight weeks.
Answer
Responsibility for any assessment of such costs is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, as the authority with responsibility for maintaining and operating the Forth Road Bridge.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it expects the additional funding allocated to the budget line for the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in 2008-09 to have on the current BSOG rate of reimbursement of 39.21 pence per litre.
Answer
Following the budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 6 February 2008, I can confirm that it is our intention that the total funding available for Bus Service Operators Grant will be around £61 million in 2008-09 which should mean that the reimbursement rate remains at 39.21 pence per litre.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost of Bus Service Operators Grant claims for mileage is in 2008-09.
Answer
We estimate that the cost of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in 2008-09 will be approximately £61 million. Following the budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 6 February 2008, I can confirm that it is our intention that the budget for BSOG will be around £61 million in 2008-09.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the budget of £57.2 million for Support for Bus Services in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 in 2008-09 to be sufficient to cover Bus Service Operators Grant claims for mileage.
Answer
Following the budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 6 February 2008, I can confirm that it is our intention that the budget for Bus Service Operators Grant will be around £61 million in 2008-09.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional funding allocated to the budget line for the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in 2008-09 will have to be used to cover the shortfall between the original budget for Support for Bus Services in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 and the estimated cost of BSOG claims for mileage.
Answer
Following the budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 6 February 2008, I can confirm that it is our intention that the total funding available for Bus Service Operators Grant will be around £61 million in 2008-09.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the creation of a bus priority lane on the approach to the Forth Road Bridge.
Answer
Bus priority measures, as part of the toll plaza remodelling and associated works, are a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) and the City of Edinburgh Council, in conjunction with SESTRAN.
These measures are currently being taken forward as part of the works following the abolition of bridge tolls on the Forth Road Bridge.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider the decision not to increase the Bus Service Operators Grant in line with the support given by the UK Government to bus operators in England and Wales.
Answer
The Scottish Government currently provides substantial funds to the bus industry of around £260 million a year. Each increase in fuel duty and its effect on the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) has to be looked at on an individual basis. Within the constraints of the current spending round the government has been able to increase BSOG beyond the plans proposed in the draft budget.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of current fuel prices on the competitive position of the bus industry.
Answer
The cost of fuel is one of a number of factors which affect the competitive position of the bus industry. Scottish Government''s support for bus services is considerable amounting to some £260 million per annum. This covers Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), concessionary fares, local authority supported services and Bus Route Development Grant.
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the current level of fuel prices on (a) public transport, (b) the haulage industry and (c) rural areas.
Answer
The cost of fuel is one of a number of factors which impact on the provision of public transport. Scottish Government''s support for bus services is considerable amounting to some £260 million per annum. In the Budget Debate, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announced that an additional £4 million would be allocated to Bus Service Operators Grant in 2008-09.
We are fully aware of the impact of fuel prices on the road freight sector and in rural areas and Scottish ministers are in correspondence with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the possibility of minimising the impact on the road freight sector and reducing the level of fuel duty in certain rural areas of Scotland.
